We live in an era of a digital world where we see everything through a digital glass. Technology has taken over the simplest to earnest tasks for us. The need for another person to be present around us for a simple task is getting slim to none.
Computer vision and deep learning are the basis of what we call our modern era digital monitoring. Whether it is security, learning, or daily lifestyle activities, computer vision helps us monitor correct outcomes without human effort. With cutting-edge technologies in computer vision, we can detect, monitor, and even control the results as we desire.
One of the crucial parts of computer vision is the human body pose estimation. Estimating an entire body includes detecting limb and joints and eliminating light, clothing, and image noise. To do this on top of a live video stream adds to the challenge. Here MediaPipe and OpenCV come into action.
We will discuss what MediaPipe and OpenCV are, how they smooth up the process of human body pose estimation, and how exactly they work. This article will discuss the usage of these technologies to create a tool that helps individuals exercise properly without trainers.
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What is OpenCV?
OpenCV (Open-source Computer Vision) is an open-source library. It provides a range of tools and services for image processing, extraction, and manipulation. The library is cross-platform and supports Windows, Linux, and macOS along with some other platforms. Some OpenCV applications that help in Pose Estimation include Motion Tracking, Gesture Detection, and Structure from Motion.
What is MediaPipe?
MediaPipe is also an open-source framework that provides compact, ready-to-use, fast machine learning solutions for live stream media. It provides machine learning solutions – known as pipelines, for cross-platform in multiple languages. Some ML solutions in MediaPipe include facial recognition, iris movement, holistic, pose-estimation, and face mesh.
How does MediaPipe and OpenCV work?
To use these computer vision technologies, we have to install them in the system or environment that we are working. Depending on the language you want to use, we install OpenCV and MediaPipe using the command prompt.
To use MediaPipe in Python, we can follow commands:
# Using conda
conda install -c conda-forge opencv
# Using pip
pip install mediapipe
pip install opencv
Video Capture using OpenCV
OpenCV library provides a built-in solution to engage a streaming device, capture a video stream, and provide video frames. We can use this by calling the OpenCV VideoCapture library. This library can read frames of video and display them in a window.
The frames extracted from OpenCV are BGR format. So, we first convert it to RGB format. Once we have our video frames in RGB, we can apply MediaPipe’s Pose on video frames to track body posture during a workout.
Pose Estimation using MediaPipe’s Pose
MediaPipe Pose is an ML solution that tracks body pose with precision using 33 landmarks. It utilizes BlazePose research by removing background from a complete RGB frame. Pose-generated pipelines are lightweight opposing conventional ML solutions.
Pose takes in two arguments: detection confidence and tracking confidence. These are simply the strictness of preciseness we want in our resulting pipeline. The pipeline processes the RGB frame and produces an array of landmark coordinates. Each frame updates the landmark coordinates.
Detecting Workout Correctness
After creating the pipeline model, we now compare pre-recorded videos of professional trainers with live-stream. We can identify the correctness of the pose by assigning a score of similarity and difference.
The complete model can be wrapped in a user-friendly application because MediaPipe created solutions are lightweight and mobile-friendly.
Similar Technologies
Believe it or not, MediaPipe is not the only cutting-edge technology in the field of computer vision. With ever-growing open resources, we have hundreds of such tools at hand. We are enlisting some of the most popular computer vision tools that you must know about:
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ML Kit
ML Kit is a lightweight APIs powered by Google to help developers. It provides ready-to-use APIs to integrate into an application.
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YOLO
YOLO (You Only Look Once) is a state-of-the-art, real-time object detection system. Its version YOLOv3 is a fast and effective system that can process 30 FPS. It uses a 53 layered DNN. You can read more about it here and find out how Algoscale utilizes it.
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Raster Vision
Raster Vision builds computer vision models on satellite, aerial, and other large images. This model is best for aerial protection and monitoring.
Algoscale bridging the gap between Computer Vision and AI-Based Businesses
We hope that this article was insightful and enlightening. Algoscale provides businesses with solutions. We help data scientists and tech enthusiasts to attain a ton of knowledge. Information never stops growing so we keep you updated with the latest.
Computer vision is vast. With each new day, businesses are adopting automation technologies. AI and computer vision are becoming the new normal of our business society. Algoscale pioneer in AI, data science, and product engineering. Tools like the one just discussed are part of what Algoscale does best.
Algoscale consults new establishments as well as top-notch enterprises around town. If an enterprise wants to incorporate artificial intelligence, Algoscale is just the place for you. If new blood wants state-of-the-art data science technologies for their start-up, Algoscale will provide the best solution. Best progress sometimes requires sudden changes. Algoscale is here to make those changes seamless, quick, and efficient for you. Whatever help a new business, an old firm, or an up-and-becoming venture requires, Algoscale can provide. Because We Love Data!
Feel free to reach out to get much more insight on how we work, what we do, and what is in the store for you.
Happy Learning!
Server-side development is one of the most crucial aspects of building robust and efficient web applications. Essentially, it refers to the process of developing and implementing the backend logic of the web app. And when it comes to choosing the right technology for the job, the two most popular options available are ExpressJS and NodeJS.
NodeJS is an open-source runtime environment that allows developers to implement JavaScript code on the server side. It is a programming language that uses the V8 JavaScript engine and follows an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model to build robust server applications.
ExpressJS, on the other hand, is a minimalist web app framework built on top of NodeJS. It comprises tools like routing, middleware, and templating engines to simplify and accelerate development. ExpressJS offers several advantages in comparison to NodeJS, making it a preferred choice for server-side development. In today’s blog, we will explore why ExpressJS excels compared to NodeJS in this context.
Why Choose ExpressJS?
ExpressJS is a quick and minimalist web application framework built on NodeJS. It offers a powerful set of features and a simple API that streamlines the process of building complex server-side applications.
One of the most prominent features of ExpressJS is routing, which enables developers to define routes and map them to particular handlers. This simplifies the process of API creation and eases the handling of different HTTP methods and URL patterns. Another notable feature of this framework is its middleware system that allows developers to add modular functionalities to their web apps. ExpressJS’s middleware functions can manage tasks like parsing request data, authentication, error handling, and much more.
Moving on, ExpressJS also supports template engines, which allow developers to build dynamic HTML pages and render them on the server side. Also, ExpressJS’s vast range of extensions and plugins makes it easy for developers to create intuitive apps quickly.
Now, let us look at the many benefits of using ExpressJS for efficient server-side development.
- Scaling the application quickly
This is one of the key benefits of using ExpressJS for server-side development. Any web app that is built using this framework is very easy to scale.
ExpressJS is built on top of NodeJS, and thus, it inherits its scalability advantages. NodeJS uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model that enables it to easily manage concurrent requests. This capability, in turn, allows ExpressJS apps to scale quickly and handle huge amounts of traffic without sacrificing performance.
Additionally, ExpressJS is very flexible and lightweight in nature which contributes to its scalability. The framework is designed to be minimalistic, integrating only the essential app features. This results in the development of a lightweight application and provides developers with more control over the application’s architecture.
- JavaScript benefits
In the debate of ExpressJS vs. NodeJS, one thing that most developers consider is language. However, both technologies win in this regard as they are based on JavaScript.
JavaScript is one of the most widely used programming languages, primarily known for its use in web browsers. The ubiquity of JavaScript means that most developers, even those with a non-technical background are familiar with it to some extent. This reduces the learning curve, making it easy to develop web apps in ExpressJS.
- Supported by Google’s V8 engine
ExpressJS enjoys the support of Google’s V8 engine, which is a JavaScript runtime engine utilized by NodeJS. This engine is known for its efficient JavaScript code execution and high-performance capabilities. It is optimized to compile and execute code at an incredibly high speed. ExpressJS relies on this platform for performance optimizations and delivers efficient server-side processing.
- Quick development
ExpressJS facilitates rapid web app development by providing a range of tools and features that accelerate the development process. The framework comprises several pre-developed functions and libraries that can be readily used by developers. These components streamline run-of-the-mill tasks and eradicate the need for developers to reinvent the wheel.
Also, by using these pre-built components, developers can divert their energies towards implementing application-specific logic rather than starting from scratch for every single feature. This results in reduced development time and effort.
ExpressJS also has numerous spinoff projects that are built on top of it. This includes Feathers, Poet, LoopBack, and many more. These projects enable developers to benefit from ready-made solutions for specific requirements such as implementing complex business logic. This not only enhances ExpressJS capabilities but also reduces developers’ efforts during development.
- A large and active community of developers
One big advantage of using ExpressJS for web app development is its sizable developer community that actively contributes to supporting each other.
Thanks to this community, developers can leverage a wide range of tools, resources, and frameworks to quickly and efficiently develop apps with ExpressJS.
Quick Comparison of ExpressJS with Other Server-Side Development Frameworks
ExpressJS is a highly versatile server-side development framework that is considered excellent for building JavaScript-based web apps. Thanks to its brilliant array of features like a customizable routing system and multiple template engines that streamlines and accelerates the development process. The framework is also compatible with multiple databases that ensure flexibility in selecting the most suitable option for the web app’s needs. Its rich and active community of developers contributes to its rich ecosystem of plugins.
But often, many developers get confused with other frameworks such as Ruby on Rails and Django.
Ruby on Rails is another popular framework for Ruby-based web development. It comes with a built-in server and an ORM that makes it easy to start building intuitive applications. However, Ruby on Rails is slightly more complex as compared to ExpressJS. It has a fairly high learning curve due to its conventions and complexity which requires developers to first obtain a thorough understanding of Rails-specific concepts.
To complement backend frameworks like Rails, many businesses choose to hire ReactJS developers or work with a ReactJS development company to deliver seamless, scalable, and user-friendly front-end experiences.
Django is another well-accepted Python-based web framework that is used for server-side development. It offers similar features as ExpressJS and Rails. It comes with a powerful ORM and built-in server along with an extensive library ecosystem. However, Django’s learning curve is also higher than ExpressJS as its concepts can be complex.
Partnering with a professional data consulting company can help businesses overcome these challenges and implement Django effectively for scalable solutions.
